I believe my beloved Tiger (West Highland Terrier) is one of the smartest, cutest, lovable dogs in the world. :-)

Take a look at Tiger looking at me when I was driving...He is the most manja dog I know!!!

The day after my accident, Tiger refused to eat. He just sat beside me, looking so worried.

This was Tiger's reaction when he first met my older boy last week.

Seriously, I believe Tiger is very smart. One of my friends who visited me a fortnight ago, showed disdain at my doorstep. Then I asked her, "Do you like dogs?"

With much aplomp, she declared, "I do NOT like dogs at all."

My Tiger does not bark at visitors but once he heard that person declare her dislike for dogs, Tiger barked at her on the three occasions when she visited us - the first time she popped by after we adopted Tiger, once to deliver CNY goodies and another time on the third day of CNY.

Just a few nights ago, I was enjoying my dark chocolate bar and reading a book in the kitchen. Suddenly, Tiger jumped on his chair, leapt on the dining table (something he is NOT allowed to do) and came close. I thought he was going to lick my face but he was actually trying to sniff and guess what I was eating! I called my husband, "Daddy!!! Come and see what Tiger is doing!"

At my cry, he stiffened as his ears cocked up and he turned his head towards the stairs as though to see if my husband would come downstairs. When he heard the bedroom door creak, he quickly sat down on the dining table and did not bat an eyelid!

By the time my husband entered the kitchen, Tiger acted nonchalantly as though he had been up to no mischief and had been behaving himself! Then he sat down in his roast piglet position and acted so innocently. :-)

This morning, I surfed the net to discover the ranking of West Highland terriers.

Sadly, it is not listed as amongst the top ten most intelligent dogs...I doth protest!!!!

The smartest dog is the Border Collie whereas the Afghan Hound is supposedly the dumbest (#100) according to this site.

West Highland White Terriers are one of the most attractive of the Terrier breeds. They have always been an all-white breed. This breed has a very sharp, intelligent look. Westies have a topcoat and a thick undercoat. Westies have erect ears, short legs, and a chunky body. They have a domed skull with dark, widely spread apart eyes.

The pointed erect ears are natural, not altered. The short tail is natural, not docked.

Origin of Country

Scotland

General Character and Temperament

West Highland White Terriers are among the most charming, loyal, affectionate, and intelligent dogs of the terrier family. They are a small breed, seldom growing to over 22 lbs. Our Westies range from 14-21 pounds. Westies are extremely active and playful, with puppy-like characteristics carried over into maturity. They will announce all visitors with a bark, but seldom become vicious. Westies are quite sociable, and the most cheerful of Scotland's terriers, having a pronounced optimistic outlook on life. They have the endurance of a much larger dog and owners need not pamper them or carry them home from a long walk. Originally bred for chasing down vermin, Westies make excellent companion dogs. They love their power hugs, but never sit still for long. Their bright and inquisitive nature is a delight to behold. The Westie is outgoing and friendly.

Sociability

Somewhat pugnacious around strange dogs and small animals, the Westie is generally sociable with friendly dogs and family cats, but this little dog with the big attitude isn't likely to be intimidated by the barking of the neighbor's Great Dane. A Westie will not back down from any dog. Socialization should begin early as a pup.

Grooming

A Westie's hard dry coat requires grooming on a regular basis and most look forward to the attention of brushing, and haircuts. Westie skin tends to be drier than that of most dogs, which is why they have very little doggy odor. Westies are white as their name indicates. Wheaten color along the dorsal stripe in early puppyhood usually disappears with maturity and some darker hair on the muzzle and around the eyes is not uncommon. The breed standard calls for a double coat with wiry straight outer coat and a soft undercoat. Introduce your puppy to grooming as early as possible and follow the standard for Westie grooming for best results. Hand stripping is usually done for show dogs. We do not clipper groom our Westies because it causes the coat to become softer and sometimes wavy as the top hair grows out. We use a Mars Coat King which we have found over the years to be a great way to groom your Westie...

Westies shed very little! Some say they are non-shedding. If you compare them to a Lab, that is true. The truth is, they do shed a little! If you brush out your Westie daily (3 minutes) you will have very little shedding.